In the not too distant past, the notion of a gay marriage or family was, more or less, an oxymoron. The field of Couple and Family Therapy has evolved over time to critique the heteronormative values and assumptions applied to LGBTQ couples and families. We celebrate and nurture queer youth , and cultivate pride and joy with transgender youth and their families. A wonderful addition to this body of work is summarized in Stephanie Coontz’s OpEd in last week’s Sunday Times, …
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Several heterosexual couples in my clinical practice have struggled of late with issues related to the #MeToo movement. Memories can surface for the female partner that engender feelings of rage, tremendous pain, and fear. Trainees ask how best to help navigate these important, but potentially difficult conversations between the couple. The work of unpacking the dominant norms of masculinity and their subsequent impact on relationship can indeed be a daunting task in the hour allotted for couples therapy. Both for couples and the therapists who …
Being a systemic therapist requires ongoing analysis of the ways in which power dynamics organize and shape the life-long relational dances in couples and families. Experiences of privilege and marginalization in the cultural landscape are critical to the daily lived experience of our clients, and impact their relationships in profound ways. In working with our Psychiatry residents at Penn, I welcome writing that fosters clarity about the influence of these complex, often silenced, aspects of power. Once again, my friend …
As a family therapy clinician and teacher, I am constantly talking about the importance of relationships. I’m thus thrilled when those outside of my specialty acknowledge that as well – especially when it comes from my colleagues and collaborators in the medical community. In “Why Your Cardiologist should ask about your Love Life,” Dr. Sandeep Jauhar discusses the link between heart health and our emotional and relational worlds: We have learned, for example, that fear and grief can cause serious cardiac injury. During …
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with award winning author, Elizabeth Bernstein, who writes the Bonds column for the Wall Street Journal. She and I spoke, literally, for hours, about families and family therapy; she really captured the value of this approach to treatment. Here’s the link to the full article. For those without access to the WSJ, here’s a bit of the content. You can also try to find it on Google News. What is …
I’m so pleased to share this recently published book by my friend and colleague, Dr. Saliha Bava, and her partner, Mark Greene. Although we might agree in theory that parenting is indeed a relational endeavor, our language belies this perspective. For example, we describe the child as “oppositional defiant” as though she existed in a relational vacuum, without that ‘other’ person she must oppose. Diagnostic criteria focuses on the individual and obscures the parts of the relational system that promote imbalance …
Family historian, Stephanie Coontz, is admittedly one of my favorites. Former President of The Council on Contemporary Families, Dr. Coontz brings a much needed perspective to our cultural discourses about marriage and family life. Her capacity to mine enormous bodies of data and expose trends about the current state of relationships is remarkable – and very much needed. The landscape of marriage and family is not easy to navigate, and I’m grateful for her clarity and perspective. In that spirit (and because …
David Asch MD and Roy Rosin, MBA of The Center for Healthcare Innovation at Penn Medicine have published an article in The New England Journal of Medicine that supports the involvement of family and friends in improving health and health care outcomes. At The Center for Couples and Adult Families, we are thrilled to share this vision: that the quality of one’s relationships matters and has important and measurable impact on health and well being. …
Each year around this time, conversations with clients turn to the predictable stress of time with family over the holidays. Like ghosts in the night, old issues, long dormant, reappear at holiday time. How is it that an adult with partner and children can walk into their parents’ home and instantly feel 10 years old again? The anticipation of a holiday encounter can lead any adult to feel slightly unhinged in a way that few other situations do. Let’s face …
Join colleagues at Penn Medicine and CHOP for this exciting panel, lead by transgender activist and family therapist, DR. ELIJAH NEALY. They will address the importance of family therapy in the treatment of transgender young adults. Dr. Nealy will be joined by Jacqueline HUDAK, PhD., LMFT, The Center for Couples and Adult Families, Perelman School of Medicine, Linda HAWKINS, Ph.D., Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic, CHOP, and Benoit DUBÉ, MD, Perelman School of Medicine. Wednesday, September 28th, 2016 6-8PM 16th Fl., 3535 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 …
